Obama and Race

I’m hearing some rumbles that Barack Obama’s ethnicity may prevent him from becoming U.S. President. It’s true that I am not, and will never be, a Barack Obama fan. But, my reasons are simply based on the fact that we don’t agree with one another on the issues. Never have…never will.

However, I have zero patience and no tolerance whatsoever for racists. Too many Americans have made far too many sacrifices trying to level the proverbial playing field for racist attitudes to have the privilege of getting any traction on any issue, including this one.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a major step in the positive development of America, as we know it today. People who weren’t alive back then or were simply too young to be perceptive enough to understand what was happening at the time no doubt don’t remember its passage.

They probably don’t remember racist Birmingham, Alabama police commissioner Theophilus Eugene “Bull” Connor and his heavy-handed authorization of the use of high-pressure fire hoses and police dogs to savagely attack civil rights demonstrators who were simply exercising their First Amendment free speech rights.

I must assume younger folks also don’t remember the hooded cowards who belonged to criminal enterprises such as the Ku Klux Klan. They probably don’t realize there were lynchings of African-American males who were hanged from trees and other de facto scaffolds simply because of their gender and their ethnicity.

Additionally, those too young to have experienced the ’60’s probably don’t know why Birmingham was called “Bombingham.” It acquired that gross moniker because racist cowards bombed places like churches and threw flaming Molotov cocktails through the front windows of people’s homes, again merely because of their target’s fact of birth or beliefs.

One of the bombings resulted in the murder of four innocent black girls, who were getting ready for their Sunday morning roles in the choir at the 16th Street Baptist Church. The girls ranged in age from 11-14 years old.

KKK members were suspected of the bombings. One of the suspects was later prosecuted by the Alabama Attorney General’s office and convicted in 1978. Two other suspects were tried and convicted in 2000, after the FBI entered the case and provided compelling evidence needed to convict these merciless thugs.

All three received life sentences which was a far cry better than what their victims got. Ironically, the tragedy of this horrible bombing provided needed fuel to the civil rights movement and, at least indirectly, led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

This landmark legislation also led to affirmative action in the workplace and is responsible for the tremendous ethnic diversity in modern day law enforcement. Wherever one goes, they see peace officers for any law enforcement agency in this state representing just about any ethnic group one can think of.

We also are seeing more and more women entering sworn law enforcement. All of this diversity, in turn, has led to increased public safety. Why? Because it helps prevent sleazy defense attorneys from throwing the race card that causes jury nullification, like Johnny Cochran did in the infamous O.J. Simpson murder trial back in the 1990’s.

Had the prosecutors and the judge competently done their jobs, a guilty defendant would have been convicted, but that’s a topic for another time and place, not here.

I despise anyone who would not vote for Barack Obama because of his ethnicity. That’s racist, simple-minded and has no place in today’s society. But, does this mean I would ever vote for Obama? Of course not. And, here’s why.

First of all, he is rated as the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate. It appears that his solution to problems is to throw more tax dollars at them. I’m sorry, but I’ve worked very hard for every penny I’ve ever earned and have no intention of sharing any more of my money than I already grudgingly do with strangers who may totally lack my work ethic.

Next, it dismays me that Obama seems to be more concerned about what Europeans think of America than what is near and dear to the heart of Americans. But, considering that he spent many years living in foreign countries, particularly during his formative years, I’m not surprised that his view of America doesn’t appear to be the same view that many Americans have.

One example of this is the speech he made in San Francisco where he belittled Americans who exercise their Second Amendment right to possess firearms and exercise their First Amendment right to attend a place of worship of their choice. There’s no room for elitism at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Perhaps he’s forgotten how many times and how many lost American lives have saved Europe during times past when they were either incapable of protecting themselves or didn’t choose to do so. Instead of being grateful, however, too many Europeans now toss scorn toward us. How soon they forget…

It also bothers me that he sat quietly in one of the pews of the Trinity United Church of Christ and patiently listened to the racist, anti-American rants of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright for approximately twenty (20) years. In fact, he failed to disavow Wright until public pressure put too much heat on that issue.

I also don’t like the fact that he has stated several times that he would meet with radical leaders of other countries and heads of terrorist organizations, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, without any preconditions. That sort of naivety simples scares me right down to my socks.

Perhaps the mistakes former British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain made in kowtowing to the German mad man Adolph Hitler are lessons Obama has either failed to learn or refuses to learn. This sort of ignorance is not becoming of someone who could become the next U.S. President.

As any married man with a brain knows, it is impossible to ignore input from one’s wife. Frankly, I don’t like Michelle Obama. As a lawyer, she should know better than to say dumb things in public. But, does that stop her? No.

One comment of hers particularly rankles me. According to Wikipedia, “…On February 18, 2008, Obama commented in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that ‘(f)or the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback.’…”.

I find such a comment obnoxious and demeaning to fair-minded Americans from sea-to-shining sea. Has she completely ignored the many good things that have been done in this country to erase past sins?

Oh yeah, and before I forget, she also sat right next to Barack in that same racist, anti-American church for many years, without complaint. Sure, she shared her true feelings about America, but…

For a fellow lawyer who is quite quick to exercise her own free speech rights, if it means criticizing America, she sure as heck didn’t take exception with what her preacher was saying. This, by the way, is the same America her hubby wants to lead? Not on my watch…